Building our house and garage in the Philippines
Discussion
It has more 'knee room' than the bog in the Master Bathroom, due to my wifes inability to understand basic concept of planning.
When I told her to 'check that there is enough room', I meant room for a western-sized guy to move, stand up, turn around, drop ones pants etc, not enough room for a midget to squeeze in like a limbo dancer.
At least one can rest ones fevered brow against the cool tiles of the shower wall when one has a hangover......
When I told her to 'check that there is enough room', I meant room for a western-sized guy to move, stand up, turn around, drop ones pants etc, not enough room for a midget to squeeze in like a limbo dancer.
At least one can rest ones fevered brow against the cool tiles of the shower wall when one has a hangover......
netherfield said:
Well, we've moved in. It is still not finished, the builder is an ahole.
So they aren't all in the UK then.
I've been informed by guys that I work with that contractors are like this all over the world: make huge promises, smile a lot, then bend you over and feed you a length when you're not expecting it!So they aren't all in the UK then.
Vieste said:
Great thread thanks for sharing chap.
My pleasure. 
We did think of that idea actually but the problem is the poo pipe comes up through the concrete floor, is cast into it actually, so it would take some heavy duty surgery to move it.
In the future we may tear that concrete monstrosity of a shower wall out and move the entire shower to the other end of the bathroom, where there is a huge open area where the wife wanted a big bathtub....
The shower wall was meant to be a mere 3" thick, but somehow ended up 6".
In the future we may tear that concrete monstrosity of a shower wall out and move the entire shower to the other end of the bathroom, where there is a huge open area where the wife wanted a big bathtub....
The shower wall was meant to be a mere 3" thick, but somehow ended up 6".
XJSJohn said:
they were the size of cinder block that the contractor stole from the previous job!!! 
edit - bet both crappers are about 2inches shorter than a European spec one too so that you get a dead leg after just reading the headlines!!!
Know all the ones in our house are ...queue much amusement from wife as i hobble around with a dead leg after dropping the kids off at the pool!!
They are the standard size blocks used all over the house/town/country. ( so you can steal 'em anywhere) My design was for concrete, cast in shape, 3" thick, but nooooooo, somebody else knew better. edit - bet both crappers are about 2inches shorter than a European spec one too so that you get a dead leg after just reading the headlines!!!
Know all the ones in our house are ...queue much amusement from wife as i hobble around with a dead leg after dropping the kids off at the pool!!
The old Asian thing: "but I thought...."
The toilets are actually USA made, which I carefully selected to fit my generous English derrière.
My good lady wife is busy building stuff while I am away working. Her project is the front steps and garden. She is so pissed at the main contractor, for all his lies and broken promises, that she refuses to have any more work done by him, even though his prices and work are pretty damn good.
The gaps between the tiles will be filled with 'pebblecrete', that small round gravelly mix decorative concrete.
All this should hopefully be done by the time I get home next week, which leaves me free to build kitchen cupboards, a pantry, bathroom cabinets, the remaining steel stair rail, a new garage workbench, and a bunch of storage for my workshop. Oh joy.....
The gaps between the tiles will be filled with 'pebblecrete', that small round gravelly mix decorative concrete.
All this should hopefully be done by the time I get home next week, which leaves me free to build kitchen cupboards, a pantry, bathroom cabinets, the remaining steel stair rail, a new garage workbench, and a bunch of storage for my workshop. Oh joy.....
A bit more progress. Wife had some front steps built and decorated while I was away. Looks, er, different.
I put a big fan up in the living room. We have no air-con, and I don't think we really need it, even though I had the wiring fitted just in case. The house stays pretty cool even in mid day fire-like sun.
I finally finished the stair railings, two months after starting.
We still have next to no proper furniture, money is still tight and we still have a fair biut of work to do in the garden.
I've got my priorities sorted and the first job I did when I got home after this last stint offshore was to build three big cupboards for my garage, to store stuff away.
I think five would have been better...
We are currently battling with city hall over various inspections and certifications, that I never realised we needed.
I put a big fan up in the living room. We have no air-con, and I don't think we really need it, even though I had the wiring fitted just in case. The house stays pretty cool even in mid day fire-like sun.
I finally finished the stair railings, two months after starting.
We still have next to no proper furniture, money is still tight and we still have a fair biut of work to do in the garden.
I've got my priorities sorted and the first job I did when I got home after this last stint offshore was to build three big cupboards for my garage, to store stuff away.
I think five would have been better...
We are currently battling with city hall over various inspections and certifications, that I never realised we needed.
I built some steel railings to go round the balcony:
Threw together some 'built in' shelves for a pantry:
Gave them the 'weathered' look:
There are some doors to go on the front later, when I make them...
Some paving laid down the side of the house, to soak away rain during monsoon:
Today I built two of these, part of the railing that will go on the front wall:
Threw together some 'built in' shelves for a pantry:
Gave them the 'weathered' look:
There are some doors to go on the front later, when I make them...
Some paving laid down the side of the house, to soak away rain during monsoon:
Today I built two of these, part of the railing that will go on the front wall:
randlemarcus said:
That picture looks weird when you scroll up and down the page.
Presumably you have some sort of gravel filled runoff underneath the stone bits?
Not really. The only rain that hits that area has to come down the gap between roof and wall. The rest of the garden will have gutters, soakaways and such in various areas.Presumably you have some sort of gravel filled runoff underneath the stone bits?
uk_vette said:
Hi KH,
I have been following your build for ever.
I like almost every thing that has gone into making your house a great place to live.
If I could have had one thing different, I would have mellowed the arches in the inside rooms.
The arches from one room to the other doesn't quite do it for me.
I know it wasn't your choice, and "her indoors" slapped them up when you were out earning.
Apart from that, I like very much.
And when is the house warming and BBQ and beer time out the back?
vette
I'm quite fond of the arches, but I can see they are a little radical compared to the average maison. I have been following your build for ever.
I like almost every thing that has gone into making your house a great place to live.
If I could have had one thing different, I would have mellowed the arches in the inside rooms.
The arches from one room to the other doesn't quite do it for me.
I know it wasn't your choice, and "her indoors" slapped them up when you were out earning.
Apart from that, I like very much.
And when is the house warming and BBQ and beer time out the back?
vette
We've been in the house two months now, but there is still so much work going on we've not had any real sort of a house warming or moving in party yet. I'll be sure to let you all know when it does happen though.
Streetrod said:
King Herald, a bit off topic here but what is the Hotrod community like in the Philippines and are there restrictions on you building another Rod?
I'm 3/4 through building this, but haven't touched it since December. Very frustrating, as I have a bunch of shiny bits that need fitting, when I get all my house building chores done. I've yet to test the waters with registering a home-built car, but I'm sure there are ways and means to get almost anything registered, if you can hook up with the right people.
There is a guy here building a small batch of '32 Ford roadsters, for export to Australia, each one has a blown 350 motor. I keep meaning to get some pics of them.
Here is me welding up the front railings. Most of the electrical hardware junk in the background will go when we get proper power hooked up:
Finished job:
Swimming pool is coming along, only 2.5m x 4, a 1.2 deep, but big enough to have fun in, on those hot sunny days:
My pantry is now fully loaded, but still awaiting doors:
And I celebrated my 52 birthday there last Monday. Wife and daughter made me a suitable hot rod cake:
Finished job:
Swimming pool is coming along, only 2.5m x 4, a 1.2 deep, but big enough to have fun in, on those hot sunny days:
My pantry is now fully loaded, but still awaiting doors:
And I celebrated my 52 birthday there last Monday.
Wife and daughter made me a suitable hot rod cake:
I did a bit of 'guy stuff' in the garage a couple of weeks ago, to try and pretend it was my personal workshop rather than a materials storage station for the house...
Some tool boards and a Harley picture went up. Where the 30 sacks of cement currently reside will eventually be a man size solidly built workbench, with top made from 6 x 2s and a big heavy man size vice on.
Under the sheet is the workbench I built in the PI over 15 years ago. It was been shipped half way across the world to England, where it resided in my various garages, and has now been shipped all the way back to the Philippines again, where it will resume its career as a dedicated drill bench. (If benches could talk, it would have some stories)
It is actually in the process of drilling some steel for the front railings, in the pic. 22 16mm holes in 10mm steel strip.
Some tool boards and a Harley picture went up. Where the 30 sacks of cement currently reside will eventually be a man size solidly built workbench, with top made from 6 x 2s and a big heavy man size vice on.
Under the sheet is the workbench I built in the PI over 15 years ago. It was been shipped half way across the world to England, where it resided in my various garages, and has now been shipped all the way back to the Philippines again, where it will resume its career as a dedicated drill bench.
(If benches could talk, it would have some stories)It is actually in the process of drilling some steel for the front railings, in the pic. 22 16mm holes in 10mm steel strip.
johnnywgk said:
Eh Hem bump, sorry got a frog in my throat
I arrived home a couple of days ago, but the pool is still not finished. The Mrs has been building some sort of weird barbeque 'station' with a brick built pizza oven integrated......Not really a lot been going on with the house, just had the guys finishing off the wife's oddball stair design and a few other details.
Not to everybody taste, but it looks quite cute in the flesh.
I built a workbench in the garage today, out of 3/4" marine ply. Doors will be made tomorrow. it has 3 layers for the top, and needs a couple of inches taking off the back board so it fits under the tool boards. And it might gain some blue paint too, daughters favourite colour.
There is my old faithful workbench, that has crossed the oceans 'twixt UK and Philippines twice with me. I built it about 15 years ago.
And there's a new toy lurking there, that arrived a few days ago.
Edited by King Herald on Wednesday 25th April 14:18
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